Post-Baccalaureate Program

  • Adolescence Certification for Career Change Emphasizing Secondary Schools (ACCESS) prepares you to teach at the middle/junior/senior high school level, if you already have a background in a secondary teaching content area. 
  • Dual certification in special education grades 7-12 is available. 
  • Learn about adolescent learners and master the skills and methods to create learning-centered, engaging lessons that are standards-based.

Program is Ideal For

  • Someone with a master’s degree in a subject area who wants teaching certification for that subject (biology, chemistry, physics, English, math, history/social studies, theatre, Chinese, French, German, Italian, or Spanish).
  • If you don’t have a master’s degree, Nazareth’s Inclusive Adolescence Education master’s program could be the better option.

Career Information

  • Becoming dual-certified — able to teach a subject area and meet the needs of special education secondary students (grades 7-12) — positions you well for employment.
  • Jobs include secondary content area teachers, consultant teachers, resource room teachers, integrated co-teachers, and self-contained special education classroom teachers.

What to Expect

  • Complete the program in four semesters
  • 100 hours of fieldwork and 14 weeks of student teaching
  • 6-week special education practicum (for those seeking dual certification in students with disabilities)
  • Get New York state initial teacher certification in adolescence education (grades 7-12) for your content area and students with disabilities (generalist, grades 7-12).

Curriculum Examples (34 Credits)

  • Principles of Teaching, Learning & Assessment for Diverse Secondary Learners 
  • Social Foundations of Education 
  • Language, and Literacy Development 
  • Foundations of Teaching Secondary Students with Disabilities 
  • Motivation and Management 
  • Curriculum Methodology 
  • Full Curriculum

Tuition and Fees

ACCESS students pay undergraduate tuition rates for all but one course. Tuition rate is part-time except for final term, which is full-time. Program costs »

Graduate tuition is eligible for the Educational Partner Network discount.


Application Process

Application Deadlines

  • Fall term: Rolling through Aug. 1

Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree, and preferably a master's degree from an accredited institution
  • Cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 and a B average in your major field

How to Apply

1. Apply through the online form, which includes submitting a professional statement, and resume. See below for more details.

Resume
Professional Statement
Letters of Recommendation

 

2. Request official transcripts from all colleges attended be mailed or sent electronically to the Office of Graduate Admissions (gradadmissions@naz.edu). If you graduated from Nazareth, we will obtain your Nazareth transcript for you.

Transcript details

After applying

  • Eligible candidates will be invited for a required interview with the program director.
  • Upon acceptance, you’ll receive instructions about registering for courses.

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Eric Morris, alum of post-baccalaureate secondary education NYS teacher certification program

The ACCESS program "turned out to be an incredibly valuable asset to my future, launching my career in a spectacular way," says Eric Morris '12GRead how Nazareth’s program provided a speedy path to his goal and led directly to this career changer’s first two teaching jobs.